Oil changer



Jan. z,- 1951 H. M. DUNN ETAL 2,536,492

OIL-CHANGER Filed NOV. 17, 1949 gif/www, *MM/f Patented `ian. 2, 11951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 536,492 dii, CHANGER Henry Donn and' David oiesgunew conn., essignors to cholonn Manufacturing Corporation,A New Haven, Conn., a'- corporation of Gonnectict Application November 17, 1949, Serial No. 127,976

3 Claims (C1. 226241161" The present invention relates in general to' fluid-removing apparatus and more especially to vacuum-operated apparatus for removing oil from the crankc'ase of motor vehicles;

An objiect of the invention is to provide supe'rior oil-removing apparatus for' use by' indi? vidual motor-vehicle owners' A further object of the invention is to provide vacuum-operated oil-removing. apparatus which isof simple and. inexpensive construction, which is easy and convenient to operate, and which embodies a minimum of parts. y

A Still further Object f the iivelitr'i' is to Ifvide a vacuum-operated oil-receiving unit with anA improved stand whereby the oil-receiving unit may be supported in a convenient position for use and safely s'tor'e'd when not in use.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all` features in thev said disclosure which arev n'ovel over the prior art.

In the accompanying' drawings; in which certain modes of carrying out the' present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the improved vacuum-operated oil-removing apparatus of this" invention including the stand, for supporting the oil-receiving unit while in use;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken sectional eievation of the control-fitting of the oil-receivingV unit assembled on the neck of the oil-receiver;v and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the vacuum-operated oil-removing apparatus, with the oil-re#- ceivingl unit of the apparatus assembled within the stand for storage.

The oi1removing apparatus of this invention. is especially adaptedV for use by individual motor-vehicle owners who buy oil for their cars in bulk` and who changeA the oil themselves. Consequently, the apparatus of this invention is characterized by its economy of construction as Well as by its simplicity andi convenience of operation. Referring especially to Figs. 1 andl 3, the vacuumf operated oil-removing apparatus comprises, in the main.. an oil-receiving unit which, in keeping with the' simplicity and economy of theapparatus, consists of an oil-receiver I such as, for example, a five-gallon glass bottle of any well-known make, and a connector-fitting indi cated generally at Il, for connecting the bottle with a vacuum source and with the crankcase of a motor vehicle ior withdrawing oil therefrom into the bottle; and a stand l2 which serves' both as a means for supporting the oil-receiving unit while in use as indicated in' Fig. 1, and as a Store age-crate forprotecting the oil-receiving" when not in use, as indicated in Fig. 3. i

Referring more' especially to Figs. 1 and 2, th connectoruntting ii of the oir-receiving unit cdripises a Cross-Shaped pipe-ttil'lg, or a iiber' of' equivalent construction, having four' arms nro-video* witn passages le, I4. is and lsresneetively intersecting at sibstantially` right angles to each other, the errno identied by' the passages is, f4 and l5 being' provided'. at their outer ends with internal threads fr threaded engagment with a nipple l1, a v'alvame'mber |81 arid a meterlstem I9 respectively'. The nipple I1' of'tlfe passage f3V is threadedly secured at its outer end to the adjacent end of" a uid valve-1nember 26 having a valve-passage 2| therethrough which is adapted to be opened and closed by means of a valve-plug 22. The opposite end of the valvepassage 2l of the uid valve-member has` one end oi a flexible tube 23 secured therein,` the free endy of whichl is adapted to be inserted in the opening in the crankcase of a motor vehicle for withdrawing. oilV herefrom, as hereinafter described.

rlfhe valveemember i8, secured inthe outer endl ot the connector-fitting arm identified by the passage I4, constitutes the body-portion of a vacuun-i-valve,` and to this endl is provided at its inner endl with'` a valve-seat 2li` andy at its outer. end with a flanged bushing 25, the flanged' bush; ing 25 being adapted to threadedly support a valve-spindle' 26 for movement longitudinally virithin'` the: vacuum valve-body i8; Securedto the inner end'` or the spindle 26 is? a` valve-washer" 21` Whichis adapted to be movedr into and from engagement with theseat 24v oi the valve-body by' long'itud'inal'- movement of the spindle 2@ thereirn the longitudinalmovement of the spin` die 26 being effected by means? of a valve-operating han-diei 28. intersecting one' wall off the vac`- uurri valve-body l8- at' substantially right angles thereto andintermediate its` ends, is an inlet pipe 29 to which is attached one end of a flexible tubeI` or hose 3u; the oppositeenel of which: is? adapted to` be secured in any convenient manner' to ai,` sourceof vacuum such as, for example, the intalilemanitoldf of a motor' vehicle, or" to thewindsllii'eld-wiper; for creating a vacuum in the bottle IU.

The meterfstem Iii ofy the connectorefltti'ng constitutesthe external-lyethreaded stem of a Vacuum meter-gauge 3I-, by which the latter is 551 thre'adedl'ysecured` in the passage l5 of the con;

hector-fitting for measuring the amount of Vacuum created in the bottle or receiver I0.

The connector-tting is adapted to be detachably secured on the upper end of the neck of the bottle, and to this end a cap 32 is soldered or otherwise secured to that arm of the tting which is identified by the passage I6, the cap 32 being adapted to be screwed onto the upper open end of the neck 33a of the bottle l0, and having a central aperture therein communicating with the open end of the bottleneck and the passage it oi the connector-litting. Thus, by rotating the cap 32 manually, the entire tting, including the flexible tube 23, the hose 30 and the vacuum meter-gauge 3l, may be assembled on or removed irom the neck of the bottle with facility and dispatch.

The ai'oresaid stand l2 of the apparatus is adapted both to support the bottle le of the oilreceiving unit when the latter is in use and to protect the bottle when the unit is in storage and ior transportation. As shown especially well in rigs. 1 anu the stand il comprises a pair or" enti-members 3:5 and 34 respectively, each of which is a substantially-square wooden board or member oi equivalent material; and supportingmeans therelor which, in a pieierred eiiibouinient, comprises iour rigid wooden rods 35. The end-member 34 oi' the stand is provided with a substantially-central aperture se oI sumcient diameter to permit the bottle Is to pass therethrough, and is held in substantially verticallyspaceu re.ationsnip with respect to tile endinember 33 by the aforesaid Iour rigid wooden roes se which are engaged in apertures 3l in 'the end-member 33 and apertures 3d in the endniember sa, tlie iour apertures oi each respective end-member belng auiacent the corresponding four corners thereof respectively. Ivlore particularly, the substantiaily-rectangular locus of the apertures 33 or the apertured end-member 34 is of greater linear dimension than the substantially-rectangular locus oi' the apertures iii or" the solid end-member 33, as a consequence of which the supporting-rods 35 converge slightly i'rom the apertured end-member 3f to the solid end-member 33. As shown especially well in Figs. 2 and 3, the i'our rods are firmly seated in the apertures 33 of the apertured end-member 34 and extend therefrom irom one lace only, whereas 'the opposite ends oi' the iour rods te extend through the apertures 3l of the solid-end-mernber se so as to projectbeyond the opposite race thereof, the lengtnoi' the projecting ends or the rods corresponding substantially to half the height of the glass bottle la, so as to nrnlly support the latter on the solid end-member 33 when using the apparatus Ior withdrawing oil from the crankcase of a motor vehicle. The extremity of the upwardlyprojecting end of each rod 35 is rounded off to provide a finished and pleasing appearance and for facilitating handling and use of the stand I2.

In using the Vacuum-operated oil-removing apparatus or this invention, the stand is arranged, as shown in Fig. l, with its apertured end-member Sii placed on the ground or the iioor of a garage, and with the solid end-member 33 uppermost. The glass bottle I is then placed on the solid end-member 33 within the enclosure formed by the upwardly-projecting ends of the rods 35, whereby the glass bottle Ib is rinly and securely supported in a relatively-elevated position. With the bottle in this position, the exible tube 23 of its fitting is inserted in the dip-stick opening of the crankcase of the motor Vehicle from which the oil is to be removed, while the hose 30 is connected to the intake-manifold of the engine or to an equivalent vacuum source. Assuming the vacuum source is the intake-manifold of the motor, then the Valve-plug 22 of the iluid-valve 2E! is turned to close the passage 2l, and the handle 28 of the vacuum-Valve I8 is turned in a counterclockwise direction to unseat the Valve-washer 21 from the valve-seat 24 thereof. The interior of the glass bottle Iii is thus connected directly to the source of Vacuum through the tube 30 and with the Vacuum meter-gauge 3l. Thereupon, the motor is started to create a vacuum in the bottle, the amount of Vacuum being indicated by the position of the needle of the vacuum meter-gauge. After a sufficiently high vacuum has been created within the glass bottle, the Vacuum valve-handle 28 is turned clockwise to seat the valve-washer 21 on the valve-seat 24, thereby shutting oi the bottle from the vacuum source. The motor is then shut off and thereafter the Valve-plug 22 is rotated to open the valve-passage 2| of the fluid-valve 2t, whereupon the vacuum within the glass bottle IU will cause the oil in the crankcase of the motor to now up through the flexible tube 23 into the glass bottle Ill. Should the vacuum within the bottle be reduced during this oil-withdrawingr cycle to a point where no additional oil ows out of the crankcase, then the operator has only to turn the valve-plug 22 to close the Valve 2li and start the motor of the vehicle. Then, by turning the Valve-handle 28 to unseat the Valve-washer 21 of the Vacuum-valve I8, a vacuum may again be created in the glass bottle, after which the vacuum-Valve I8 may be closed, the motor stopped, and the fluid-Valve 20 opened, whereupon the recreated vacuum withinV the bottle will cause the remaining oil in the crankcase to iiow into the bottle.

After the oil has been removed from the crankcase oi the motor vehicle in the manner hereinabove described, the bottle It may be lifted up out of the stand and carried to a suitable place for disposing of the oilwithin the bottle, the disposal of the oil being accomplished readily by unscrewing the cap 32 of the connector-fitting from the neck of the bottle. To put an empty bottle or a bottle containing oil in storage, the stand I2 is inverted to the position shown in Fig. 3 such that the projections of the rods 35 constitute legs for supporting the stand substantially upright. The glass bottle, including the connector-tting II and its attached lieXible tubing and hose, is then lowered Ydown through the aperture 3S of the end-member 34 which is now uppermost, untilthe glass bottle rests on the solid end-member 33 which now functions as the bottom of the stand. The glass bottle will thus be enclosed within the four rods 35 of the stand and hence protected against breakage, both in storage and in transportation.

Although the vacuum-operated fluid-removing apparatus of this invention is described with regard to its use in removing oil from motor vehicles, it will be understood that the apparatusV may have other applications not related to motor vehicles, such as sucking up bilge waterin a boat, siphoning oi gasoline from a tank, and similar uses.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodimentsare, therefore, to b e considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

We claim:

1. A portable Huid-removing unit for use in conjunction with a vacuum source for removing iluid from a container, said portable fluid-removing unit comprising: a fluid-receiver; a connector-tting secured to said fluid-receiver, said connector-tting having four passages intersecting at a common junction point within said tting, one of said passages having connectingmeans for making a connection with said fluidcontainer, a second passage having connectingmeans for making a connection with said vacuum source, and a third passage in communication with said fluid-receiver; and valve-means carried by said tting, said valve-means being arranged to be operated manually to close the connecting-means to said Huid-container and to open the connecting-means to said vacuum source for creating a vacuum in said fluid-receiver and thereafter to close the connectingmeans to said vacuum source and open the connecting-means to said fluid-container to cause the Iiuid therein to flow into said fluid-receiver.

2. A portable fluid-removing unit for use in conjunction with a vacuum source for removing fluid from a container, said portable duid-removing unit comprising: a fluid-receiver; a connector-tting secured to said fluid-receiver, said connector-fitting having four passages intersecting at a common junction point within said f1tting, one of said passages having connectingmeans for making a connection with said iluidcontainer, a second passage having connectingmeans for making a connection with said vacuum source, and a third passage in communication with said fluid-receiver; valve-means in the connecting-means to said vacuum source and in connecting-means to said fluid-container, said valve-means being arranged to be operated manually to close the connecting-means to said fluidcontainer and to open the connecting-means to said vacuum source for creating a vacuum in said iluid-reoeiver and thereafter to close the connecting-means to said vacuum source and open the connecting-means to said iluid-container to cause the fluid therein to ilow into said fluid-receiver; and a meter connected to the 6 fourth passage of said fitting to measure the vacuum in said duid-receiver.

3. In a portable apparatus for use in conjunction with a vacuum source for removing uid from a container, the combination including: a fluid-receiver having a connector-fitting arranged to be connected to said vacuum source and said fluid-container; and a reversible stand constructed and arranged to be used both for storing said duid-receiver and for supporting said Huid-receiver when withdrawing fluid from said uid-container, said reversible stand comprising a pair of end-members one of said endmembers being imperforate and the opposite end-member being provided with a substantiallycentral aperture of sufiicient transverse dimen- Sion to permit said fluid-receiver to pass therethrough; a plurality of rigid rods arranged to hold the said end-members securely in spaced substantially-parallel relationship with the distance between said end-members corresponding substantially to the height of said duid-receiver, said rigid rods being constructed and arranged to converge from said apertured end-member toward said imperforate end-member to form a closed cage between said end-members for supporting said fluid-receiver on the imperforate end-member for storage, and integral extensions on said converging rods arranged to pass through said imperforate end-member and project beyond the outer face thereof, said extensions serving as legs to support said reversible stand during storage and upon reversal of said stand, serving as an open-ended cage for supporting said fluid-receiver on the outer face of said imperforate end-member during withdrawal of fluid from said duid-container.

HENRY M. DUNN. DAVID OLES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 270,434 Hunt et al. Jan. 9, 1883 1,154,906 Berkley Sept. 28, 1915 1,413,772 Paulsen Apr. 25, 1922 1,518,446 Phelps Dec. 9, 1924 

